A Science Business article summarises Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger's reaction on the proposed research budget cut for 2018. Oettinger calls on governments to reverse their proposed €500M cut to next year’s Horizon 2020 budget. He said "it will send Europe in the wrong direction. If you are not prepared to invest in 2018, you will have to invest more in 2019 and 2020”. He stresses that it would be a false economy and leave Europe trailing China and the US.

In May, the Commission put forward a budget proposal of €160.6 billion for 2018. The Council position foresees budget cuts in several policy areas, actions and programmes (including Horizon 2020),